Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 965
Weird blue window film. Please help!!
Hoping that someone here has seen the same...
My D3 has a peculiar light blueish tint film on all the windows except the windscreen. It’s not like any tint I’ve seen before, it is rather thick and plasticky. Looking out of the car from inside it adds a horrible smoky blue appearance to the world. I only really noticed it because the passenger front window is a replacement and is beautifully clear. It’s the only window without the Land Rover logo on it so I presume that this film stuff is from the factory.
The weird blue look from the film is in itself not a major problem, the bigger problem is that over the years it has scratched and is gone ‘bad’ somehow which gives a rippled look and the view out of all the windows looks like I am viewing the world through an inch of water.
I tried taking photos but it doesn’t show. Has anyone experienced this and is this the standard window for the 2005 D3?
I’d like to remove it all so that I can have a proper tinting film added onto the car. Any advice on this would be gratefully appreciated.
The film looks well and truly glued to the window, almost manufactured part of it. Perhaps the Pilkington-supplied glass was specified like this when it was bought new in Mayfair London.2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
2014 BMW 435d convertible. Bought July 2021. 58,000 miles and counting...
2005 Discovery 3 HSE Auto. Bought Feb 2019. 169,000 miles and counting...
2009 Freelander 2 XS Manual. Bought Sep 2013. SOLD Aug 2021 (already regretted!)
Member Since: 06 Apr 2016
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 545
Now, watching wheeler dealers the other day, they removed film by blacking out the windows from the inside with black plastic and leaving it in the sun. Note it was filmed in the US though so weather is a bit more reliable.
I think the trick is heat, a hair dryer or maybe if your carful and keep it moving a lot a hot air gun. Melt the glue, but keep it even and dont tear the film as picking bits off wont be any fun.
The other thing is something like isopropyl alcohol for the glue residue.
Another useful tool is a cred it card, simply hold between the finger and thumb, inset into the machine, enter your pin and say thanks to a professional who can do it for you as suggested. Disco 3: Lotus Elise S1: Ferguson T20: Audi A2
6th May 2019 7:28 pm
DIY Ace
Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 965
Hahaha yes, the credit card idea sounds perfect. I might just try that.
Doing more research I can see that it is a common issue. It seems that over time the dye in cheap window tint will break down through UV exposure. The dye almost always turns purple, so mine is well on its way. I suspect the tint was put on when new 14 years ago and was crap film.
I’ve managed to take one window’s worth of film off this afternoon - the small quarter-light in the rear door. It was crap to take off and left all the sticky goo behind. I’m going to have to heat it up and scrape with a razor to get it off. A boring job.
Think I’ll just book it in to the tinter’s workshop and let them worry about it. Not quite the ‘DIY’ solution that my username suggests but I haven’t got 25 years to sit scraping windows.2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
2014 BMW 435d convertible. Bought July 2021. 58,000 miles and counting...
2005 Discovery 3 HSE Auto. Bought Feb 2019. 169,000 miles and counting...
2009 Freelander 2 XS Manual. Bought Sep 2013. SOLD Aug 2021 (already regretted!)
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6697
Yeah, there are big differences between various tint brands and materials. At least Llumar has lifetime manufacturer’s warranty against color changes. The tint shop I had mine done gave a 10 year warranty.
The “best” is carbon or ceramic film..
6th May 2019 8:24 pm
Dazz360
Member Since: 03 Sep 2016
Location: West Mids Walsall
Posts: 873
I took my old car to a firm we use for work who supply us window tint for various shopfronts. They know the legal tint requirements and I had a 25 year guarantee
Wet Midlands company called armour guardMetal auto sump & fluid change (3 hrs)
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3 injectors replaced so far (30mins)
Sunroof drain pipes both sides 2.5 hrs)
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Removing tint isn't fun. I had to remove it from a window on my A4 that i wasn't happy with when I tinted the glass. It can go one of two ways, the adhesive comes off with the tint or it stays on the glass & just the film comes off. In my case the film came off easy as pie but the adhesive stayed on the glass. i had to remove the glass from the car & treat the glass with isopropyl. It took a blimmin age to remove.
Cheers n Gone Nick MY16 D4 Landmark SDV6 (The Ice Maiden)
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MY08 D3 HSE Stornoway (Miss Moneypit) The money tree withered......
not used it for this but would suggest "sticky stuff remover" will do the trick. currently have the "HG" branded stuff in the cupboard and when I got it I transfered it to a squeezy bottle as it looked more sensible for applying it. sadly, it melted that bottle so had to swap it back !!
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